Danny DeKeyser is one of the best players left in the restricted free agent pool. Detroit has had all summer to work something out with the 24-year-old defenseman who averaged 21:38 minutes per game last season, but so far the two sides have come up short.

Detroit’s training camp scheduled to start in a little over two weeks, but DeKeyser is still optimistic.

“I’m pretty confident,” DeKeyser told the Detroit News. “We haven’t talked in in about a week or two, but we’ll talk again here soon and hopefully get something worked out.”

After a relatively quiet summer in Detroit, the Red Wings should have enough cap flexibility to work something out based on Cap Geek’s numbers and the expectation is still that the two sides will agree to terms. As is the case with all restricted free agents at this point though, the fact that he remains unsigned is noteworthy.

Not sure why he’d commit to that term for less than Ericsson & Quincey when he’s already better than both of those guys and has way more upside. 3.5-4mil is likely what Holland is offering for 2yrs, after which DDK would probably be able to command just as much or more than Kronwall.

Hence the bridge contract that Holland is probably offering. I was pointing out that your proposal doesn’t make much sense– why would Danny sign such a long contract at a toll of 3.5.-4mil per (again: less than Ericsson/Quincey) when everyone and their mother knows he can command that for a couple years and would then cash in on his following contract. That’s where the current standoff is: he wants to smooth that theoretical average (4.25-4.5?) over a longer term, while Holland wants a smaller cap hit so he can have enough flexibility to tend to Alfie now and Nyquist, Smith & others next year.

What’s not proven? DeKeyser was sought after by every time in the league and I don’t think he has hurt his stock in the meantime. He’s clearly better (now) than some of his peers who are making more money than him– just because he wants to play in Detroit doesn’t mean he has to sell himself short.

“Did I say he should sell himself short??? No.” No, you didn’t say it. You just directly implied it by presuming that he’d be willing to commit “for 5 years at 3.5-4mil per”

“But be realistic… you’re making general statements about him being ‘as good as Kronwall’.”
Again, go back and re-read what I wrote. I said rather specifically that he’s better than Ericsson and Quincey, something you seem to agree with. I also wrote that he’s got way more upside, read: trajectory. If he signs a bridge contract and continues developing in the meantime, his subsequent contract is likely to be just as much or more in terms of average salary as Kronwall’s 4.75mil. I’d be glad to put money down on that.

If anyone is making general statements, it’s you in suggesting that ” Stats say otherwise”, and then citing point production…for a couple blueliners who play on different pairings…

Sorry, I confused you for the other bloke whose username starts with a “p”– you weren’t the one who wrote the original post.

The professionals see what your way? That point production should be the first reference of what makes a good NHL blueliner? What professionals are those? Otherwise if you meant that DeKeyser has to improve, no one contends that. Kronwall could improve too, but does anyone expect him to at this point in his career?